“Our mortality really gives meaning and motivates us to do anything,” says Levitt. “For a long time, I was more of a destination than a journeyman, and I think that has really changed, thanks in part to this game.”
Role-playing can be especially helpful for those who have experienced trauma and oppression. Cassie Walker, a clinical social worker and trauma specialist, sees games and role-playing as a valuable way to connect with clients and demonstrate that therapy doesn’t have to be severe or painful.
“Trauma keeps us from connecting with ourselves, and one of the first things that disconnects us is our imagination and creativity,” says Walker. Tablet games allow their customers to reconnect with their imagination, as the structure of the game provides a certain comfort and encourages people to start thinking about what maybe than what? To be.
While many people involved in eccentric therapy are children and adolescents, many therapists — including Walker — work with adults. Walker wants therapy to be a space that can be fun and energizing for clients.
“Therapy is so important and has a lot of potential for healing,” says Walker, “but the invasion of our physical and mental health and mind has made it a terrible, quiet, and rewarding thing to do. sad,” Walker said. “I laugh with my customers, I cry with my customers. We play games, we discover what’s interesting with them. “
How to join
Geek Therapeutics has a category of Certified Geek Therapists on its website. In addition to TTRPG therapy, some providers offer eccentric forms of therapy, including therapeutic video games and less structured role-playing. These therapists provide services in the United States as well as internationally, and many accept insurance.
Games for development have some home therapist who provide personal therapy. They currently offer services exclusively through telehealth.
For those interested in leading group sessions and helping others, Geek Therapeutics offers training for mental health professionals, including Therapeutic Game Master Training. The nine-week course includes training from professional game masters, some of whom served as writers for Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Dungeons & Dragons.
“It can be scary because they have more than 30 years of experience,” says Bean. “But they’re also great to work with and really gain an insight into, because they’re the masters of their craft.”
To complement the Game to Grow Method, Davis and Johns created Important core with mental health professionals and innovators. The game set provides teachers, parents, and mental health professionals with all the resources needed to run the TTRPG, including adventure modules, pre-written character boards, and facilitator guides. designed to incorporate therapy into the game. The game is modeled after D&D, but it removes many of the rules and complications that can make TTRPG intimidating for new players.
“We wanted to remove some of that complexity to make it more profound about narrative storytelling, the living magic of narrative social play,” Davis said.
You also don’t need to be a therapist to participate. Both organizations also offer training for non-mental health professionals, like teachers, parents, or anyone looking to connect with themselves and others through play.
Geek Therapy’ Certified Geek Expert the program helps participants better support their colleagues and students through the lens of TTRPGs and fandoms more broadly. The course is self-guided and offers over 80 hours of content to participants.
Game to Grow offers two forms of training outside of the Certified Game Therapy Master’s program—community training and Educator training. Davis said educator training aligns with educational goals rather than integrative, therapeutic ones Common Core and 21st century skills. Community training is open to all who are not educators or mental health professionals.
Boccamazzo is clinical director at Do this, an organization focused on reducing stigma and increasing mental health support in games. Boccamazzo also provides training in the application of role-playing games in clinical and academic settings. He notes that playing TTRPG by itself does not constitute a therapy, even if the GM is a mental health professional, so keep that in mind.
“Games are not therapy,” says Boccamazzo. “It’s therapy it’s therapy, using the game as a vehicle.”
